Another Man's Treasure

15. Sweet, Apologetic & Forgiving

Madison~~

My eyes wonder around Shelly's apartment, it's so much more brighter than mine even though the sky is gray.
  She tells me to take a seat on her pink couch and I do politely. Her place is...aestheticly messy, there's two giant bookcases alongside the small box television and all sorts of flower pots all over the living room.

"Here you go." She hands the cup of tea with a smile.

  I thank her before looking over at the bookcases once again. "Do you read?"
I ask.

"Oh no I don't. My daughter loves reading. She could read at the age of 3 already, and now at seven she loves writing poems as well." She laughs. "I don't know where she gets it from, neither her dad or I are great at... literature."

  "Oh, that's great. You both must be really proud." I say. "Where is your husband?"

Shelly's laugh suddenly rings in my ears. "He's not around. We were never married. It's just Mabel and I."

  "Oh."

"Do you and your ex have any kids together?" She asks.

  I lightly shake my head. "No, we don't." And swallow the bob in my throat.

"Too sad, I think you would make a great mother. Kids are not easy but they're worth it."

  I smile before taking a sip of my tea once again and say, "Kids are definitely not easy yeah." Shelly looks at me confused. "I'm a kindergarten teacher. I took two months off to deal with the divorce and the moving, but I have to admit I miss being at work. I need something to distract me from everything that's been happening. And obviously I miss my class too." I finish off.

Shelly is smiling. "That's amazing. You totally give off mother vibes. At which school?"

   "St. John's Elementary School. It's small but I love it there."

Out of nowhere I feel a buzzing from inside my cardigan's pocket. Someone is calling me. I apologize to Shelly and take my phone out to see who it is but it's an unknown number.

I frown. Who could it be?

It better not be those tax or debt collectors. They just piss me off.
Of course I don't answer and wait till it's finish ringing.

"Who is it?" Shelly asks.

  "An unknown number. I'm not going to answer it."

It finally stops ringing, and I take a sip of my tea once more.

"So, what made you move into this shitty place?"

  "Can I ask you a question?" She nods. "When I moved in here, I kinda got the feeling that you didn't like me. Why was that?" I curiously ask.

"I just didn't know you and-" Before Shelly can finish my phone buzzes again.

  "I'm so sorry. I think I need to take this." I apologize once more.

She smiles. "No, it's okay. Go ahead."

I get up from the couch and make my way to the front door. I want to take the call outside so that Shelly doesn't hear me, so as I take my buzzing phone out my pocket.
I open her front door and step outside, but before I can answer the call I immediately see Nathan standing in front of my apartment door looking at me with his phone connected to his ear.
  Is he the one thats calling me?

I look down at my phone and then back up at him again. It is definitely him calling me.

Nathan takes his device away from his ear and cancels the call, and of course my phone stops ringing too.